I just saw a completely uninviting cover picture with a messy bed, cornered against the wall and a column. I thought I would share it in the Cover picture strange choices thread but I went on to check other pictures and reviews and found some interesting facts: there was general clutter in most pictures. Some pictures were so poor quality you could hardly distinguish what was in them. There was a better bed and room than the one chosen as cover picture. There were about one third of reviews missing. A couple of reviews don’t give 5 * for cleanliness and no one mentions the place being clean or tidy. Most reviews emphasize the hosts’ flexibility for arrival and departure Most sitters have none or very few previous reviews. There are over 20 previous sits Pet can be left for up to two hours Listing shows “low application” label with no applicants It’s a Christmas listing Location is highly demanded I thought this exemplifies perfectly well how this site is mainly about making good matches. Despite lots of previous sits, the presentation of the listing seems not to have been improved. It seems that the flexibility of the host, good communication and desirable location still attracts sitters, especially the ones willing to build up reviews. The host seems happy enough with the sitters they’re getting. All reviews are positive. There’s also something else which I find interesting: despite general 5* rating and no specific mention of important difficulties, there’s still enough information that keep most experienced sitters away. I think sharing small or big signs that keep us off applying can help both hosts and sitters improve their experience and make better choices.

Excellent post. I don’t do well with clutter. I think clutter is a symptom and there will be other areas of disorganization. Routines that are shared in the profile are important to me. I think walks are essential for dogs if possible. I once read a profile that gave you the choice on whether one wanted to walk their 5 German Shepherds and that they needed to be let out separately because of fighting. I skipped over that one.

The cover photo of the toilet, I’ve seen that on so many listings! Puzzling…! Another turn-off is when the listing contains part of the instructions in ALL CAPS. That’s the kind of vibe I’ll skip past in a heartbeat. Or dogs that can’t be left alone for more than 1-2 hours. That might be an indicator of a difficult situation that’s not a fair exchange.

For me, tone and content of listings have been the biggest turnoffs, with hosts who seem to think they’re hiring employees, instead of offering a reasonable exchange. With sits, plenty can go wrong, so I consider whether hosts would be good partners if anything went sideways. Would they show grace and be collaborative? Great sits are possible only with strong partners on both sides. I’ve looked for generosity, hospitality and reciprocity in listings (and in exchanges away from THS). If a host/listing focuses only on what they and their pet(s) need or want, big red flag to me. Also, because I value cleanliness and tidiness, I avoid all sits where no one has specifically written about that. That’s because some sitters will gloss over cleanliness with star ratings, but it’s unlikely that they’ll write an outright lie about that. Plus, look at arrival and departure times expected by hosts. If they’re unreasonable, skip. At the outset, it’s also telling how collaborative and thoughtful someone is when they communicate and you try to schedule time to video chat. Anyone who is only self-focused, or is wishy washy, or is deciding timing without mutual discussion is someone to avoid, IMO.

Hi @ShawninRye and welcome to the Forum!

They say cluttered house, cluttered mind.

@Newpetlover, last year there was a parody thread that highlighted some of the more ridiculous aspects of poor listings. Whilst entertainment then most items, from various contributors, were based on real listings/experiences. Sometimes gotta laugh. [image] Parody: Worst housesit listing ever? The Love of Pets & Other Fun Stuff There’s plenty THS Forum threads on red flags. And we’ve seen some corker listings and had some learning experiences. For amusement, thought doodle a made-up worst housesit ever listing innocent. For absolute clarity, this is not a real listing joy Some items seem entirely ridiculous. But substantially all are based on listing content or themes that we’ve read or encountered on THS or THS Forum. HEADING: Desperately seeking any applicant to pamper my furbabies DATE: 25 December – 31 Decem…

Reasons we wouldn’t apply: Cluttered kitchen counters (or clutter anywhere) Pets can’t be left alone for more than 2 hours (but a list of interesting things to see in the area that are an hour away…!?) (and really even a 4 hour limit means not much time to visit surrounding areas) Pets that must sleep with sitters Missing photos of living space Photos of a messy bedroom, kitchen or bathroom

I have seen a few sits that make me laugh. Pets can’t be left alone longer than three hours and here is a list of interesting things in the area with a 45 minute ride each way. Or they marked pet can be left alone 6 hours and the profile states to let the dog out in the yard several times during the day or he will pee in the house.

Definitely echoing some of the previous replies: Cluttered counters, tables, areas Unmade beds or beds with no bedding/linens (have seen a few with just the mattress) No photos of bedroom, living room, rooms where sitter will stay (I’ve actually started reporting these) More than half of the photos are weird angles of pets Any profiles with HR language like “hire,” “interview,” “services”

I agree. I find that so vile, whether it’s a photo for this site, real estate photos, AbnB, shared accommodations, etc.

Share an example of a sit you haven’t applied to because of listing signals

Sitter Questions, Advice & Chat

GotYourBack 10 October 2026 18:37 13

@Newpetlover, last year there was a parody thread that highlighted some of the more ridiculous aspects of poor listings. Whilst entertainment then most items, from various contributors, were based on real listings/experiences. Sometimes gotta laugh.

Topic		Replies	Views
Ridiculous requests that made you laugh out loud! Sitter Questions, Advice & Chat	283	9627	16 December 2025
Red Flags? Sitter Questions, Advice & Chat	231	14138	17 July 2026
Am I doing something wrong - or just impatient!? Host Questions, Advice & Chat	71	1167	11 March 2026
Why is my listing not receiving any applications? Host Questions, Advice & Chat	37	828	6 November 2025
Sitters more interested in a place to stay than your pets Host Questions, Advice & Chat	384	22717	12 May 2026

Share an example of a sit you haven’t applied to because of listing signals

Related topics